Schizophrenia - 3 - Condition & Symptoms

Goal: Find out what the individual knows about how stress impacts Schizophrenia and discover the role stress might play in managing the disease.

Possible Action Steps

Find out if the individual knows of ways that stress negatively impacts health.
Have the individual identify what they consider to be healthy and unhealthy coping strategies.
Problem solve on ways to reduce the individual’s stress.
Together, develop a short-list of healthy coping strategies and ways to use them more in daily life.
Explore iPhone and Android apps that support and track stress reduction exercises and techniques.
Ask individual to choose one way to reduce stress and try it out in the next few days.

Goal: Work with the individual and their support network to strengthen self-management routines and strive for consistent ADL/IADL behaviors.

Possible Action Steps

Together, make a plan to address situations in which routines will be challenged – (such as completing ADLs, getting to work or school, etc.)
Find out if the individual knows how to respond in a positive way when they feel bad.
Find out if the individual knows how to respond to symptoms and other relapse indicators.
Work to increase activities and responses to stress that result in feeling good.

Goal: Help the individual identify how non-prescribed drug and alcohol use can contribute to increased symptoms of Schizophrenia and impaired functioning (persons with Schizophrenia are at increased risk for drug and alcohol abuse as compared to the general population).

Possible Action Steps

Together, discuss the negative effects of non-prescribed drug and alcohol use on symptoms of Schizophrenia (potential interactions with antipsychotic meds; possible increase in positive or negative symptoms)
Have the individual talk about any negative effects of non-prescribed drug and alcohol use they have experienced first-hand.
Ask the individual to talk about current levels of non-prescribed drug and alcohol use and the triggers for use.
Find out if the individual would like to cut back or eliminate non-prescribed drug and alcohol use.
Work together to develop a plan to cut back or eliminate drug and alcohol use in the upcoming week.